Weekly Update: March 25

Boy, have we been swamped this season - and blogging keeps taking a backseat! Better late than never, right?

BIGGEST RECENT COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS

COMMON APPLICATION ® 2025-2026 ESSAY PROMPTS RELEASED, CHANGES TO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SECTION

The Common App ® released their 2025-2026 essay prompts, and they will be the same as last year. However, applicants will see substantial changes in the Additional Information section. First, the word limit for the main Additional Information response will be shortened considerably - to 300 words, down from 650. Second, the “community disruption” question relating to Covid-19 will become a “challenges and circumstances” question. Applicants will be able to describe particular obstacles that they have overcome and share an additional piece of writing about them. 

AMAZING NEWS FROM THE HILLTOP

On a related note, word on the street is that Georgetown will finally begin allowing applicants to use the Common Application ® system to apply for admission! According to student newspaper The Hoya, Georgetown will begin accepting the Common Application ® starting with the fall 2026 application cycle, impacting applicants for the undergraduate Class of 2031. Sorry, juniors! Until now, Georgetown was one of the few top-ranked institutions, including MIT and the University of California system, that has required students to apply using a very time-consuming institutional application. Georgetown’s Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, Charlie Deacon, is well known for his long-time criticism of the Common App ® - so this is really a significant shift. 

COLUMBIA CHANGES POLICIES IN RESPONSE TO FUNDING CUTS; PENN, MICHIGAN, STANFORD, AND HARVARD MAY BE NEXT

Columbia has agreed to make big changes to its campus policies after the Trump administration cut off $400 million in federal funding. The government said the school didn’t do enough to stop antisemitic harassment and violence, especially during heated protests related to the Israel-Gaza conflict. Some of the new policies include a leadership overhaul of the Middle Eastern studies department, a formal definition of antisemitism, an internal review of the admissions process to reduce bias, and new regulations relating to protests. Changes at Penn may be next. The administration just cut off $175 million of federal funding as a result of the school’s policies on transgender athletes. Michigan, Stanford, and Harvard are now under investigation as well. 

TRACKING NEW ACT POLICIES

As most of our readers likely know, the new ACT rolling out online this spring and in paper this fall will not have a required science section. Instead, it will be optional. However, it’s hard to know what this means for students. Do they need to take it anyway? Will colleges accept score reports without science? How about super-scoring - can you super-score between tests? Compass Prep has put together a great chart that compares policies at various colleges and universities - and also indicates which ones have not yet shared their plans. Don’t be fooled by the date at the top of the their page - this continues to be updated as schools release policies. 

DOES YOUR COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE REALLY COUNT IF YOU DON’T HAVE A BED PARTY PIC TO SHOW FOR IT?

(Yes, it most certainly does). If you aren’t familiar with the bed party trend, you can learn all about it here! I have to say, I don’t love these. In a world where the college admissions process has become increasingly unpredictable and competitive, the last thing we need is one more thing for kids to feel anxious about. These types of celebrations can be a source of incredible stress for students - mainly with regard to having to share their college decision publicly. And seriously - all that food in bed? Yuck!

Source: Pinterest

BEST RECENT ARTICLES

Could your family survive if your income was cut by almost 30% overnight? “Something would have to give, and fast,” reflected Ian Bogost of The Atlantic. In his recent article, “A New Kind of Crisis for American Universities,” Bogost compares this type of household financial shock to the exact one that colleges and universities in our country face right now in the aftermath of new federal government funding regulations. 

As Bogost explains it, federal research grants have always come with additional funds allocated for directly related overhead; in other words, while a grant itself might pay for the salaries of professionals conducting a particular type of research, there are still many related costs necessary to carry that research out. For example, expenses related to lab space and research equipment, or the costs of administrative support. These can be substantial: in some cases, they can amount to more than 60% of the cost of the grant itself. 

These overhead expenses have now been capped at 15% of the cost of the grant, effective immediately. Some universities could lose more than $100 million annually as a result, forcing them to make tough choices. It’s just like we tell our kids: money doesn’t grow on trees! That money has to come from somewhere. 

Reporters from The New York Times agree, writing that these budget cuts are a key factor leading to the current “moment of extraordinary turmoil” in today’s higher education landscape (along with changes relating to affirmative action, campus culture, a shifting admissions process, and more).  

While some of the cuts have been temporarily blocked in court, the uncertainty has already sent universities scrambling to find solutions. We’re about to see faculty cuts, fewer student life resources, a reduction of research opportunities, and even increases in tuition in order to cover the enormous financial gap. 

We encourage all families to research the extent of proposed changes at each college under consideration by their students. Cuts will be different at each institution, so it’s important to try to minimize the extent of the direct impact on an individual student’s plans and needs.

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Interested in the University of Michigan? You and everyone else! Michigan has consistently been one of our students’ top-choice schools over the years. Unfortunately, the school has seen a notable increase in undergraduate applications, leading to a record-low acceptance rate of 15.64% in 2024. And it’s important to recognize that those published statistics involve a combination of in-state and out-of-state applicants, so the acceptance rate for out-of-state applicants is surely going to be considerably lower. Want to learn more? Don’t miss this article on the last 20 years of admissions data in the Michigan Daily!

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Many parents assume that if their teen is doing their homework and getting decent grades, they’re engaged in school. But a new study examined by Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop in The Atlantic suggests that a huge number of middle and high school students are simply "coasting": showing up, doing the bare minimum, and not really caring about what they’re learning. “Think of them as the original quiet quitters,” Anderson and Winthrop joke. Researchers call this "Passenger Mode," and it has long-term consequences. If this rings a bell, check out the piece for some suggestions to help your teens move out of Passenger Mode before college begins! 

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

I can’t believe it’s spring already! Our juniors have made lots progress on essay writing already and are plugging right along on schedule - they are going to be so relieved next year when they finish all of their applications early! 

In other news, I was able to visit Vanderbilt a few weeks ago. Did you know that the university is preparing to launch its first new college in forty years? The College of Connected Computing will offer interdisciplinary programs relating to innovation, AI, data science and more. While details of the specific programs have not yet been announced, we’re eager to learn more in the coming months!

Also, a pro tip to share: if you are visiting Vanderbilt anytime soon, grab brunch at The Butter Milk Ranch. And check in first online so you don’t have to deal with the 2-3+ hr wait! AMAZING!

Weekly Update: February 21

Welcome back to reality after the long weekend!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

U.S. SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS NEW TJHSST ADMISSIONS PROCESS

In a somewhat surprising decision yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court chose to uphold a prior court’s decision and will not hear the case alleging that the new TJ admissions process is unconstitutional. Instead of the former process, which was based primarily on test scores and grades, the new process involves a holistic approach that will ultimately have a major impact on geographic and socioeconomic factors. It was modified specifically in order to ensure larger representation from under-represented groups, and has resulted in exactly that - the Asian-American student population has dropped sharply as a result.

Most spots are now spread equally among every single middle school in the county, ensuring admission for the top 1.5% of each school’s students — regardless of that school’s quality or where those students stand in the overall applicant pool. All students who do not fall in the top 1.5% of their class will be able to apply for the small percentage of remaining spots, but preference for those will be given to students who receive special education services, are low-income, attend traditionally lower-performing schools, or are not native English speakers.

In a dissent with which Justice Thomas agreed, Justice Alito explained that he believes the new process is discriminatory and represents “a grave injustice on diligent young people who yearn to make a better future for themselves, their families, and our society.” Check out pages 30-39 of the document, if you can find it - the version I had went down at some point late last night, but I’m linking to it anyway in case it comes back up.

THE COLLEGE BOARD AGREES TO PAY FINES OVER SELLING NEW YORK STUDENTS’ DATA

The attorney general of New York, Letitia James, accused the College Board of selling private student data including “students’ names, contact information, ethnicities, grade point averages and test scores” to more than 1,000 colleges and scholarship programs. In 2014, New York State Education Law 2-D barred the commercialization of such information. Between 2018 and 2022, however, the College Board made millions of dollars licensing this information. Though the College Board still maintains that there was no improper use of the information, they did agree to pay $750,000 to settle the claims.

UPENN FIRST IVY TO OFFER B.S.E. IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

There has been a lot of attention on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in and around schools since the release of ChatGPT and other generative AI sites and tools, much of it negative. Questions such as “How do we stop students from using it?”, “How can we detect if students are cheating?”, and “What constitutes plagiarism for students or even faculty now?” have been asked and discussed in faculty rooms, classrooms, and online. Most Artificial Intelligence degrees are housed in computer science departments. At the University of Pennsylvania, however, the Penn School of Engineering and Applied Science has turned the questions on their head. Penn has now become the first Ivy League university to offer a degree in AI engineering, as Philadelphia’s Channel 6 ABC affiliate reports.

SURVEY BY THE YALE DAILY NEWS INDICATES CORRELATION BETWEEN STUDENTS ON FINANCIAL AID AND STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES

New research points to a link between students who need full or significant financial aid to attend college and their likelihood to take and submit SAT/ACT scores. The Yale Daily News undertook its own survey of current undergraduates at Yale and found “that Yale College students receiving financial aid are less likely to have included an ACT or SAT score in their Yale applications than students not on aid.” This finding corroborates the research from Opportunity Insights released in January 2024, which studied the relationship between standardized test scores and students’ academic success at Ivy-Plus colleges. This research comes as Dartmouth recently announced the decision to reinstate its policy to require test scores, and Harvard committed to a test-optional policy through its Class of 2030. Yale is completing its internal research with a decision expected by the end of February.

BOWDOIN AND GEORGETOWN CONTINUE TO BE FULBRIGHT POWERHOUSES

The Chronicle of Higher Ed reported on schools that produced the most Fulbright Scholars and Students. This incredible opportunity to study and live abroad comes with steep competition, yet Bowdoin College in Maine has been the top producer of Fulbright U.S. Students among baccalaureate schools for four years running! This year, according to the Fulbright Program, 47 Bowdoin students applied and 23 received grants. Oberlin in Ohio and Pomona in California were not far behind. Georgetown University has been the top producer of Fulbright U.S. Students among doctoral universities four out of the last five years (in 2021-2022 Brown University was number one) with 40 students receiving grants. Brown University (RI) and Harvard University (MA) were the next closest schools. 

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

As more and more small, tuition-driven colleges and universities struggle with a death spiral of rising costs and falling enrollments, many have had to get creative to keep their doors open. Some schools have begun to monetize at least one asset whose value has risen even in today’s tough environment: real estate. A recent New York Times article writes about colleges that are selling property to raise funds. The article leads with the New School in New York City, which is selling their five-story West Village townhouse that serves as the official residence of the school’s president — currently, that’s Interim President Donna Shalala, a former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services who also served as the University of Miami President for nearly fifteen years.

And speaking of real estate — it’s not all just being sold. Large, expensive, and tricked-out student housing complexes are popping up across the country. The New York Times reports on the trend and the developer bringing these projects to life in 23 states. Students benefit from numerous in-dorm amenities such as fitness centers and pools, and can even take advantage of apps to match themselves with roommates. But the properties are not university residence halls, which can be good or bad depending on your perspective. It might be better than the sketchy off-campus apartments many parents will remember from the 1990s and early 2000s, but these apartments aren’t cheap, either — Hub on Campus Blacksburg, near Virginia Tech, lists monthly rental rates between about $900 and $1,800 per person depending on suite size, according to Apartments.com. Bigger may be better from the developers’ perspectives right now, but it’s hard to know how it will look for students down the road. 

In more local news, check out Washingtonian’s coverage of the Georgetown University consulting club challenges. Over the last 10+ years, these student-run organizations at Georgetown and peer schools have become quite popular, with demand to participate far exceeding the number of student slots. Most of these organizations offer local companies and nonprofits the benefits of their consulting work, usually pro bono or for a nominal fee, and students are able to gain relevant experience that looks great on their resumes. However, many students (particularly first-generation, low-income, LGBTQ+ students, and those of color) felt excluded by the competition to be accepted into one of Georgetown’s six groups. As a result, a student advisory board implemented new guidelines in August of 2023 that required all clubs to open their membership. This has created a huge problem from the organizations, which have now grown from 60 to 300+ students overnight.

As the FAFSA redesign and implementation continues to be a concern, USA Today detailed one potential change that could alleviate student and family confusion over financial aid awards: standardization. When trying to compare financial aid offers from multiple schools, students and families can struggle to make sense of which aid is school-specific aid, federal aid, or self-help aid in the form of work-study and loans. A standardized format would help families understand exactly how much of the total cost of attendance they are expected to contribute and how much will be covered by each form of aid.

In response to the U.S. Department of Education’s delays in processing the FAFSA and transmitting the information to colleges and universities, many schools have extended their deadlines by which students will need to make their decision and submit a deposit where they intend to matriculate. The Washington Post recently published an article that lists all of the area colleges and universities (those in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia), the school’s deadline to respond, and whether that deadline has been extended. According to the Post, the list will be updated when and if any schools announce changes to their deadlines. For a list of schools across the country, the American Council on Education is maintaining a searchable list.

Finally, in this piece in The Athletic, Brendan Quinn takes readers inside BYU’s Men’s basketball program as they make the transition into the Big 12 and a new world of high-stakes college sports. BYU Advancement Vice President Keith Vorkink (who oversees athletics) and Head Coach Mark Pope know that navigating this transition into the best basketball conference in N.C.A.A. Division I Basketball is no easy feat. Balancing the school’s mission and culture with the demands of DI recruiting, new rules about name, image and likeness opportunities, and the transfer portal creates a tension, but Pope’s commitment to his mission, his profession, and, most important, his players is remarkable. This article takes readers into the recruiting and gives a glimpse of the unique support Pope provides his players.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Yesterday got a little crazy after the TJ decision broke! We work with a lot of TJ students (as well as a lot of TJ hopefuls in middle school) and I know this is a sensitive topic for many. I have a child in the FCPS system and we are zoned to Cooper Middle School, one of the schools that will likely continue to experience a significant negative impact as a result of the ruling.

Yet after seeing what I have over the last 15-ish years of working with TJ kids, I don’t think I would want either one of my kids to go to TJ, whether they could get in or not. Many of our TJ families complain about a culture they feel is toxic, and the funny thing is that it doesn’t seem to pay off from an outcomes standpoint. TJ applicants often perform worse in the college admissions process than their similarly-achieving peers at other schools because of the extraordinary amount of internal competition.

On a happier note, I am going to hold myself back on sharing details because of privacy reasons, but I just have to brag for a minute that our seniors are absolutely killing it on their ED II decisions. We have kids going to an absolutely phenomenal array of highly selective schools and this past week has involved one piece of good news after the other. I am so incredibly proud of them!

Once again, early decision programs are the way to go if students don’t need to compare scholarship offers and want to end up at highly selective schools. Students who follow our advice on this consistently achieve significantly better outcomes than their peers who decide they don’t want to apply ED. I love ED II, in particular, because it allows students to shoot for a dream reach ED and then a more manageable reach in the second round.

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